Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-08-27
sss.ss III: .sss
A HISTORY OF ADVENTURE
BY II. RIDER

rejecting on the very remarkable experI.
enccs that we were going through, and
wondering If ary of my cminently respect
able fossil friends down at Cambridge
would believe me if | were to be miracu.
lousy set at the familiar dinner-table for
the purpose Of relatinCthcm. Idon't want
to convey any disrespectful notion or slight
when call those good and learned men
fossils, but my experience is that people
are apt to ~fossilize even at an university if
they follow the same paths too persistently.
' was getting fossilized myself, but of late
my stock Of ideas has been very much en-
larged. Well, / lay and reflected, and
wondered what on earth would be the end
Of it all, till at last | ceased to wonder and
went TO sleep.
suppose | must have slept for seven or
eight hours, getting the first real rest that
| had had since the night before the loss
of the dhow, for when | woke the sun was
high in the heavens. We were still jour
neying on at u pace Of about four miles an
hour. Peeping out through the mist-like
curtains Of the litter, which were ingen-
iously fixed to the bearing-pole l perceived,
to my infinite relief, that we had passed
out of the region of eternal swamp, and
were NJ : travelling over swelling grassy
plains toward n cup-shaped hill. Whether
or not it was the same hill that we had
seen from the canal | do not know, and
have never since been able to discover, for,
as we afterward ound out, these people
will give little information upon such
points. Next ! glanced at the men who
were bearing me. They were of n magnifi-
cent build. none of them being under six
feet in height, II yellowish in color.
Generally their appearance had a good deal
in common with that Of the East African
Somali, but their hair was not friZZed up,
and hung in thick black locks upon their
shoulders. Their features were aquiline,
and in many cases exceedingly handsome,
Che teeth being especially regular and
beautiful. But Notwithstanding their
beauty, it struck me that, on the whole,
/ had never seen a more e~vil-looking set Of
faces. There was an aspect of cold and
sullen cruelty stamped upon them that
revolted me, and which in some cases was
almost uncanny in its intensity.
Another thing that struck me about them
was that they never seemed TO smile.
Sometimes they sung the m~OnOtOnous song
of which | have spoken, but when they
were not singing they remained almost
perfectly silent, and the light Of a laugh
never anne to brighten their sOmber and
evil faces. OF what race could these people
be? Their language was a bastard Arabic,
and yet they were not Arabs; | was quite
sure of that. For one thing, they were too
dark, or rather yellow. | could not say
why, but | knew that their appearance
filled me with a sick fear, Of which | felt
ashamed. While / was still wondering,
another litter came up alongside Of mine.
In it-for the curtains were drawn-sat an
old man clothed in a whitish robe, made
apparently from coarse linen, that hung
loosely about him, who, | at once jumped
20 the conclusion, was the shadowy figure
that had stood on the bank and been adj
dressed as Father" He was a wonder
ful looking old man, with a snowy beard
G. long that the ends of it hung over the
sides Of the litter, and he had n hooked
nose, above which flashed out n pair OF
eyes as keen as u snakes, whilst his whole
countcnance was instinct with a look of
wise and sardonic humor impossible to de-
scribe on paper.
cart thou awake, stranger?" he said, in
q deep and low voice.
"Surely, my father" ! answered, cou.r-
teously, feeling certain that | should do
well to conciliatc this ancient Mammon of
UnrighteOusness.
He stroked his beautiful white beard and
smiled family.
From whatever country thou camcst,"
he said, "and, by the way, it must be from
one where somewhat Of our language is
known, they teach their children courtesy
there, my tranger son And now where
fore contest thou unto this land, which
scarce an alien foot has pressed from the
time that nan knoweth? Art thou and
those with thee aweary of life?"
1--WE came TO find new things" / an
syvered, boldly. 1--WE are tired Of the old
things; we have come up out Of the sea to
know that which is unknown. We are Of
a brave race who fear not death, my very
much respected father-that is, if we can
get a little fresh information before we die"
"Humphr' said the old gentleman; that
may be true, il is rash to contradict, other
wise / should say that thou vast lying, my
son. However, dare say that ShG-aCho-
must bc-obeyCd will meet thy wishes in the
matter"
Who is Shc-uho-muSt-bc-obcycds" !
asked, curiously.
The Old man glanced ut the bearers, and
then answered, with q little smile that
somehow sent my blood to my heart.
"Surely, my stranger son, thou wilt learn
soon enough, if it be her pleasure to see
thee at all in the flesh"
"In the iesh?" | answered. "Whatmay
my father wish to convey"
Bat the old man only laughed 4 dreadful
laugh, and made no reply.
"What Is the name of my fathers pco-
ple?" ! asked.
The name of my people is Am~ahagger"
(the People of the Rocks
And il n son might ask, what is the
name OF my fathcr?"
"My name is Billali."
"And whittier go we, my father"
''Ihat shalt thou see;" and ut a sign from
him the bearers started forward ut a run
till they reached the litter in which job
was reposing with one leg hanging over
the side. Apparently, however, he could
not make much Of Job, for presently | saw
his bearers trot forward to Leo's litter.
And after that, as nothing fresh occurred,
/ yielded TO the pleasant swaying motion
Of the litter, and went to sleep again. |
was dreadfully tired. When ] woke l
found that we were passing through a
rocky detile of a lava formation with pre-
cipitous sides. in which grew many beauti-
full trees and Towering shrubs.